This invention relates generally to wheel protection and, more particularly, to a device for protecting a vehicle wheel when its tire is being chemically treated.
Trucks and cars, and especially new cars and trucks, represent substantial monetary investments by their owners. These vehicle owners go to great lengths to maintain the appearance of their vehicles by periodically cleaning them. Many products are available to aid the washing and waxing of these vehicles. Many other products have been developed to remove bugs, tar, tree sap and other foreign substances from the paint and bright work.
The appearance of a vehicle's wheels and tires is important to the overall vehicle appearance. Currently, most vehicles are sold with very stylish and expensive steel or aluminum wheels or with elaborate chrome wheel covers. Vehicle owners expend much effort to keep these wheels and covers bright and shiny to enhance their vehicle's appearance.
Vehicle owners like to keep their tires new looking. Many vehicles have whitewall tires, while others mount all-black tires. The white portions of these tires can become quite dirty with vehicle use, because of brake lining dust and road tar. The black portion of new tires have a deep black luster which is difficult to maintain. Merely scrubbing the tires during car washing will not restore the original whiteness or black luster.
Thus, many companies market chemical tire treatments to restore the rich black luster to vehicle tires and other chemicals to bleach the white portions. These treatments have become quite popular with car owners. These chemicals are applied by spraying them on the tires and wiping off the excess. Unfortunately, when the chemical tire treatment is sprayed on the tire, some of the chemical liquid inevitably gets on the vehicle wheel via overspray or drippage. If the chemical is not immediately and completely removed from the wheel, it can cause dulling or pitting of the wheel finish.
Devices have been developed to protect vehicle wheels during chemical tire treatment. Some of these are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,627,839; 4,784,440; 4,792,191; 4,811,991 and 4,874,206. While these devices are all directed to wheel protection, none have found commercial success. This may be due to the fact that they do not completely mask and protect a wheel or are unduly complex, do not accommodate all wheel sizes, are bulky or are not sufficiently inexpensive and easy to use.
There is a need for a device to mask and protect wheels during chemical treatment of a tire mounted on the wheel that is inexpensive, effective, easy to use, and accommodates all wheel sizes.